Bibliobar bookstore will host a grand opening celebration and ribbon-cutting on April 26, Independent Bookstore Day, in the store's new location at 1018 E 15th St., Plano, Tex. The festivities will include author signings, live music, tarot readings, and refreshments.
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| Bibliobar owner Chelsea Tresp | |
"We are thrilled to officially open our doors on Independent Bookstore Day," said owner Chelsea Tresp. "This celebration embodies our mission to connect readers with authors and create a welcoming space for all book lovers in Plano and the surrounding area."
Tresp's first book business job was at Barnes & Noble, where she worked for seven years between Texas and New York, the Dallas Observer reported, adding that she subsequently worked at HarperCollins, "where she moved up the ranks for four years and experienced the publishing landscape firsthand."
Bibliobar began as an online and pop-up bookshop in 2017. In 2023, Tresp opened the Plano Shopping Co-Op in downtown Plano with her sister-in-law, selling books on the second floor while vintage clothes were sold on the first. Although the co-op closed in April 2024, Tresp wanted a permanent home for her bookshop.
"It was kind of hard to find us," she said. "There was a lot of convincing people to come upstairs."
Earlier this year, she found a prime location. Bibliobar had a soft opening a few weeks ago. The Observer noted that the owner is "still organizing shelves during most open hours. For this initial wave of customers, Tresp has been taking suggestions for her inventory.... There's a small lounge area set up in the back of Bibliobar, perfect for an eventual bar or mini tattoo parlor."
"It's so easy to just go on Amazon and click a button," she said. "But I think people are really wanting third places where they can go and sit and hang out."